Poland strips Zelensky of top honor over WW2 dispute

Poland's President Karol Nawrocki has stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the nation's highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle. The decision stems from Zelensky's consent to name a unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist group responsible for massacring Poles during World War Two.

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In light of President Volodymyr Zelensky's consent to name one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 'Heroes of the UPA,'... I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the President of Ukraine.

President Nawrocki stated that the revocation is not directed against the Ukrainian people and does not signal a shift in Poland's strategic security policy. However, the move is likely to trigger a severe diplomatic crisis between the neighboring countries, especially just days before a conference on Ukraine's reconstruction is scheduled to take place in Poland.

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At this point, I would like to emphasize: this decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people. It does not signify a change in the strategic direction of Polish security policy.

Public sentiment in Poland toward Ukraine has grown increasingly negative in recent years, fueled by weariness over refugees, disputes concerning grain imports, and the unresolved legacy of World War Two massacres. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized the decision as a "strategic error," expressing regret that Poland chose to escalate the conflict instead of seeking solutions. He asserted that no foreign president should dictate Ukraine's history.

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We regret that instead of looking for solutions, the Polish side decided to escalate this conflict to an unacceptable and inappropriate level. No president of another country is going to dictate our history to us.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who had attempted to mediate the dispute, urged both presidents to temper their reactions. He warned that the conflict benefits Russia and concerns allies, emphasizing that the focus should be on de-escalation. The Order of the White Eagle was initially awarded to Zelensky in 2023 by former President Andrzej Duda for his contributions to bilateral relations, democracy, peace, and security in Europe.

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The conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and shocks our allies. The task of Presidents Zelensky and Nawrocki is to calm emotions, not to stoke tensions. The front line runs elsewhere.